To What Extent Was Hamlet Responsible For The Downfall Of Hamlet

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In every work of literature every character has a hamartia. Whether it be pride, ignorance, or even loyalty, each character has one. Hamlet is no different when it comes to this. Hamlet, as many well know, has many problems to him; but two really bring about his ultimate demise.

Hamlet’s obsessive personality was a key factor to his downfall. He would become very fixated on certain things and continue to obsess over them until he eventually turned mad. For example, when confronted by the ghost of his father he follows it, even after given thought that the ghost could be an evil spirit. That immediately started the downhill slide into everything else that followed. After speaking with the ghost of his father, Hamlet’s behavior begins to shift into his flawed personality. He starts to obsess over the idea of avenging his father’s death, and eventually …show more content…
He came to young Hamlet telling him of his troubling end, which inevitably brought about Hamlet’s own. When the ghost told him the truth of his death, Hamlet took it upon himself to dig deeper and find out more. Hamlet surrounds himself with his father’s death, and even becomes obsessed with the idea of death itself. He becomes so consumed with this new fascination of death that he even considers suicide when he decides whether “to be, or not to be,” on this earth anymore (III.i.57). Hamlet’s obsession with death becomes so overwhelming it even begins to affect the people around him. While his mind was clouded with death, tragedy and avenging his father, he shot blindingly into the curtains and brought down Polonius. Hamlet may have truly thought Claudius was behind those curtains, or he may have just wanted a reason for it all to be over for himself. This, in turn, is what brought Ophelia's demise. Her father’s death is what truly turned her mad, and since Hamlet had rejected her before, this was her breaking point.
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